Decorative shoe cover



March 19, 1968 R. MEMOLE ET AL 3,373,510

DECO RATIVE SHOE COVER Filed Nov. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. ,5 RALPH MEMOLE dACK 5. LIEBMANN yl-IAROLD BARKOLUITZ DANIEL MESZAROS ATTORNEY- March 19, 1968 R. MEMOLE ET AL 3,373,510

DECORATIVE SHOE COVER 2 Sheets-Sneet 2 Filed Nov. 24, 1965 INVENTORS. RALPH MEMOLE JACK S. LIEBMANN BY HAROLD BARKOWITZ LDANIEL MESZAROS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Orifice 3,373,510 DECORATEVE SHOE COVER Ralph Mernole, 4911 Tyler Sh, Hollywood, Fla. 33021;

Jack S. Liebmann, 420 Lincoln Road, Suite 206, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139; Harold Barkowitz, 312 Aledo Ave.,

Coral Gables, Fla. 33134; and Daniel Meszaros, 12000 W. Golf Drive, Miami, Fla. 33167 Filed Nov. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 509,528 9 Claims. (Cl. 362.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A removable, decorative, form-fitting shoe cover for womens shoes wherein the shoe upper cover portion is formed of a flexible, stretchable material having an in- 1965, to co-inventers of the present invention there is described a reuseable decorative shoe cover especially suitable for use with formal and semi-formal pumps of the type having an eggshell throat and long, slender heel. Particularly, that patent describes a decorative shoe cover comprising a soft leather or leather-like sole secured to which is a flexible shoe upper member adapted to be stretched over the upper of a shoe, the sole member being integrally formed with a sole shank portion and a breasting member, a flexible, fabric, heel-covering portion se- "cured to the back of the upper member, and'pressure-sensitive adhesive means for removably securing the breasting member against inside marginal portions of the shoe opening. The present invention has for its principal object the improvement of such shoe covers by the provision of a flexible fabric upper portion so cut as to provide sole shank portions. which, when sewn or therewise secured together substitute for the usual sole shank, whereby the elasticity thus provided in the shank of the shoe cover permits use of the cover with shoes of various sizes, the cut of the upper .portion further being such that the marginal portions of the top line of the cover will fit in closely embracing relation about marginal top lines portions of a'shoe at the foot opening thereof to eliminate the need of over-lapping and the like at the shoe openmg.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved shoe cover of the character described wherein the. top-line is cut high, enabling use of the shoe cover with any of a plurality of shoe s'tyles having various greater top linesslopes. "Yet anotherobject of the invention isto provide a shoe cover of the character above described that is well adapted to use with flat-heel shoes with the shoe heel projecting through a heel opening in the shoe cover.

Still another object is to provide shoe covers of the character above described which will be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply and remove from a shoe, and sufiiciently durable to permit reuse many times.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a decorative shoe cover embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a botom view illustrating how the upper is 3,373,510 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 formed over a last for application to an inner sole during manufacture, and further shows how the upper is cut and sewn to provide an integral cover shank portion and heel opening;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the front part of the shoe cover only, and illustrating marginal portions of the shoe upper folded over and secured to marginal portions at the underside of the inner sole;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the shoe cover as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 shown with the outer sole and heel cover member secured in place to complete the shoe cover;

FIG. 5 is an oblique View, as seen from the underside and with a portion broken away, of a modified form of shoe cover embodying the invention for use with flat heel shoes;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, with portions broken away, of the heel cover member of the shoe cover shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, illustrating details of construction thereof, and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 7 7 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows and ilustrating how the top line of the cover is finished.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a decorative cover for a womans shoe, the same comprising, generally, a flexible upper 11, a sole member 12 and a hollow heel cover member 13. The upper 11, which is preferably made of a textile fabric such as silk, satin, cotton, leather, imitation leather, a combination of cloth and leather, or the like materials having stretch qualities at least in one direction, is patterned not only to provide a form-fitting cover for the upper of a womans shoe when sewn together at the back or heel end of the cover, but to include an integral shank portion 14 when sewn or otherwise secured together at the underside of the cover between the sole and the heel ends. To this end, the upper 11 is cut with integral, opposed, marginal extensions 15, 16 between the sole and heel portions of the cover which, when turned under and sewn together as illustrated at 17 form a highly flexible substitute for the sole shank extension of the sole of shoes and shoe covers of ordinary construction. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the fabric upper 11 is formed with a marginal lasting allowance 1% at the sole opening 19 which, in the fabrication of the shoe cover, is drawn over a last 20 and a flexible inner sole 21 of cardboard, plastic, starched cloth, or the like, seated against the sole portion of the last, and against peripheral outer portions of which said marginal lasting allowance is secured as by glueing, heat-sealing or the like, as shown in FIG. 3.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 the fabric upper is further cut to provide a heel opening 22 at the heel end of the shoe cover, which heel opening is defined by a continuous, short, marginal lap portion 23 at the back and sides, and an angular, depending tongue portion 24 at the rear of the shank portion 14. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the sole member 12 further comprises an outer sole piece 25, preferably of a supple leather such as calfskin, vinyl, nylon or other material having similar qualities, and having a thickness of about inch, glued, sewn or otherwise secured against the inner sole 21 and the upper lasting allowance 18 affixed thereto.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the top line 26 of the shoe cover is finished by being hemmed over an elastic cord or goring 27 to provide additional resilience at the top opening of the cover for snug fit about the top of a shoe. It is to be noted that the top line 26 of the shoe cover is high, so as to cover shoes with correspondingly high top lines as well as shoes with shallower top lines.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, the heel cover member 13 of our improved shoe cover is hollow and selfsupporting in the approximate shape of the high or moderately high heel which it is designed to cover. Preferably, the heel cover member 13 is fabricated by forming it over a dummy heel of the desired shape. A salient feature of the heel cover member 13 resides in the greater stiffness given to the inner wall portion 28 as compared with that of the outer wall portion or counter 29, whereby the inner wall portion provides the stiffness required for preserving the shape of the heel cover member to prevent wrinkling or other deformation which would spoil its appearance in use, while at the same time permitting limited flexing of the outer wall portion in its embracing conformance to shoe heels of slightly different shapes, as may occur in shoes of the same type but of a different manufacture. To this end, we have found that the heel cover member 13 is best fabricated by making the inner portion 28 of a piece of stiff, though somewhat flexible, fabric, such as of buckram, and the outer wall portion or counter 29 of a relatively supple fabric. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the outer wall portion or counter 29 of the heel cover member 13' is secured to the relatively stiff inner wall portion 28 by having marginal side portions 30 and 31 thereof aflixed inwardly against marginal outer side portions of said inner wall portion by a suitable adhesive. The cover member 13 further comprises an outer fabric layer 32, preferably of the same material as that of which the upper 11 is made, the upper and lower edges of which are rolled or folded in as indicated at 33 and 34 to present a finished appearance, said outer fabric layer preferably being secured in place by a suitable adhesive.

As illsutrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the heel cover member 13 is aflixed to the remainder of the shoe cover by glueing or otherwise securing the lap and tongue portions 23- and 24, respectively, at the heel opening end of the flexible upper 11 against the inside upper portion of said heel cover member, after which a breasting member 35 is glued, heat sealed, or otherwise affixed against the inside of the heel cover member to simulate the appearance of a stylish womans shoe.

In the use of the decorative shoe cover 10 it will be applied simply by slipping it over the toe of the shoe and pulling it up at the back into form-fitting position over the heel and the back of the shoe.

FIG. illustrates a modification of the invention for use with low, flat-heel shoes wherein a suitably rimmed heel opening 36 through which the shoe heel projects is provided in the upper 37. To provide additional support at the back of the shoe cover, a counter 38 of a comparatively stiff material is afiixed against the inside of the upper 37 at the heel end. The modified shoe cover is otherwise of the same construction as that of the principal embodiment described above and illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawing.

While we have illustrated and described herein only two forms in which our invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, these forms are presented by way of example only and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a decorative cover for a womans shoe of the type having a sole, a projecting heel and an upper defining a foot opening, the combination comprising, a flexible and stretchable upper member shaped to conform in snugfitting, face-to-face interengagement to the outer surface of a womans shoe when fitted thereon and having a toe end, a heel end, a foot opening, and an integrally formed sole shank portion under said foot opening and defining a sole-receiving opening with said toe end, a flexible sole member in the shape of the sole of a womans shoe, said sole member being attached to said upper at said solereceiving opening to provide a pocket therewith for receiving a womans shoe, said upper having an opening at its heel end for receiving in outwardly-projecting relation thereto the heel of a womans shoe fitted in said pocket.

2. A decorative cover for womens shoes as defined in claim 1 including a heel cover member secured to said upper member in surrounding relation to the heel opening thereof.

3. A decorative cover as defined in claim 2 wherein said heel cover member comp-rises an inner heel wall cover portion of a flexible yet fairly stiff fabric and an outer heel wall cover portion of a relatively supple fabric joined to said inner heel wall portion and together therewith forming a hollow member having upper and lower end openings adapted to be fitted over the heel of a womans shoe in embracing relation with respect thereto and with the heel tip projecting outwardly of said lower end openmg.

4. A decorative cover as defined in claim 1 wherein said sole member comprises an inner sole and an outer sole, marginal portions of said upper surrounding said sole opening being secured between said inner and outer soles.

5. A decorative cover as defined in claim 2 wherein said sole member comprises an inner sole and an outer sole, marginal portions of said upper surrounding said sole opening being secured between said inner and outer soles.

6. A decorative cover as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper is cut in a symmetrical pattern of an integral piece of flexible, stretchable fabric, said shank portion being formed by securing together opposed, marginal portions of said piece of fabric.

7. A decorative cover as defined in claim 2 wherein said upper is cut in a symmetrical pattern of an integral piece of flexible stretchable fabric, said shank portion being formed by securing together opposed, marginal portions of said piece of fabric. l

8. A decorative cover as defined in claim 6 wherein the peripheral edge of said upper member foot opening is hemmed over, and an elastic cord confined within said hemmed over edge.

9. A decorative cover as defined in claim 7 wherein the peripheral edge of said upper member foot opening is hemmed over, and an elastic cord confined within said hemmed over edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,013,700 9/ 1935 Savale 36-25 2,447,284 8/ 1948 Sidnam et al 36-7.2 3,034,231 5/1962 Schwartz 36-7.2 3,221,421 12/1965 Liebmann et a1. 362.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 803,023 1/1951 Germany.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

